Calculating Electric Flux Through a Cube

In summary, the problem involves finding the electric flux through each face of a cube with a point charge of 9.10 nC at its center. By applying Gauss's law and using symmetry, the total flux through any closed surface surrounding the charge can be found. Then, the flux through each side of the cube can be determined by dividing the total flux by 6.
  • #1
stylez03
139
0
Electric Flux of a cube

Homework Statement


A point charge of magnitude 9.10 nC is at the center of a cube with sides of length 0.685 m.

What is the electric flux through each of the six faces of the cube?

What would be the flux Phi_1 through a face of the cube if its sides were of length 0.250 m?

Homework Equations


4*pi*Q


The Attempt at a Solution



I tried 4*pi*9.10 which equals 411 and it says I'm off by an additive constant

I know to do part2, the flux must be found for part1 but I'm not sure if I'm applying gauss's law correctly, I know that you can use symmetry to solve these cube problems but I haven't had a decent example of this type of problem and we already have homework on it.
 
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  • #2
Hint: What's the total flux through any closed surface that surrounds a charge Q? Once you find the total flux, then use symmetry to find the flux through each side of the cube.
 
  • #3
Doc Al said:
Hint: What's the total flux through any closed surface that surrounds a charge Q? Once you find the total flux, then use symmetry to find the flux through each side of the cube.

Is the flux on any surface that surrounds a charge Q => Qenclosed / Eo
 
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  • #4
stylez03 said:
Is the flux on any surface that surrounds a charge Q => Qenclosed / Eo
Yes it is.
 
  • #5
Doc Al said:
Yes it is.

Though with this, knowledge, I'm still not sure how to figure out the flux on each side of the cube.
 
  • #6
Start by figuring out which side has the most flux passing through it. :wink:
 
  • #7
hummm is it Q/Eo/6?
 

1. What is electric flux?

Electric flux is defined as the measure of the electric field passing through a surface. It is represented by the symbol Φ and is measured in units of volts per meter (V/m).

2. How is electric flux calculated through a cube?

To calculate the electric flux through a cube, you would need to know the electric field and the surface area of the cube. The formula for electric flux is Φ = E * A * cosθ, where E is the electric field, A is the surface area, and θ is the angle between the electric field and the surface.

3. What is the unit of electric flux?

The unit of electric flux is volts per meter (V/m).

4. How does the orientation of the cube affect the electric flux?

The orientation of the cube does not affect the electric flux, as long as the surface area and electric field remain the same. The angle between the electric field and the surface will affect the calculation of electric flux, but the orientation of the cube itself does not change the flux value.

5. Can electric flux be negative?

Yes, electric flux can be negative. This occurs when the electric field and the surface area are in opposite directions, resulting in a negative value for the flux. However, the magnitude of the flux is always positive.

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